User blog:LivesByProxy/Vampire: The Vendetta - The Faiths
This is part of my struggle to awaken Vampire from it's long torpor, specifically in the form of a new version of the card game V:TES. I plan on elaborating more on this in the future. Each vampire, or 'minion', ideally, should have three subtypes: Family. Faith. Faction. in that order. Of course, many cards would reference these subtypes with their effects. This page is concerning the Faiths ''- those beliefs and mythologies held by kindred that explains their existence and their purpose. For example, why they must feed, why they are immortal, what it means to be a vampire. These are modified versions of the sects, paths, and covenants found in the various WoD editions. Whereas with the ''Families I was trying to hit on what I viewed as the primary vampire archetypes, the Faiths are intended to be general enough that they encompass a wide range of philosophies and religions. ---- 'Atavite' Hold that vampires are a natural part of the world, as natural as the wolf is to the sheep. To the atavite, vampires are the apex predator - the only creature man should fear and the only one capable of keeping man in check. By embracing their inner beast, the atavite gains substantial control over their hunger and urges. Like every organism, the atavite seeks to thrive in relative harmony within his ecosystem - they seek a sort of mutual symbiosis with the kine, protecting the strongest and healthiest that they might reproduce and ensure a sufficient 'stock' of strong prey - making themselves stronger in the process. They see vampires as the greatest 'species' to ever exist - a part of the evolutionary process - and take reproduction as they desire to see their bloodlines continue. They tend to take the state of the environment very seriously, with some seeing civilization as inherently tainted and lashing out against it. Beliefs, Practices, & Relics * Self-preservation is no vice; survival of the fittest is the rule. 'Cathar' The cathar believe that the material world, life, unlife, and death are all false states of existence. They believe that only by rejecting all urges, passions, feelings, etc. will they truly be free of their suffering. They practice an extreme form of self-control and mental discipline, hoping that through denial of the Self and their dark urges, they will achieve a state of inner peace, equilibrium, and stasis - which some call Golconda - with the ultimate goal being a transcendental oblivion. 'Diabolic' They believe in fiendish powers and sinister forces - that they are devil-born or hell-spawn. They actively aspire to be as wicked as possible, making it their purpose to torment mortals, spread misery, terror, and despair. Ones such as these are even known to prey on their own kind. Vampires of this faith are often scorned and rejected by all others, even their own families and fellow faction members. Such malfeasance is not the way to win allies. Beliefs, Practices, & Relics * Embrace what you've become: a monster, lest it tear you apart. 'Equidox' Those vampires who claim that since no one knows the truth, any origin could be valid - and when a vampire far older than you tells you he is descended from Dagon or Nergal, who would dare argue? As such, they could be called pagans or heathens, since they support dozens of creation mythologies. Some claim descent from Hecate, or Baba Yaga, or Bendis, some have a fondness for the old Norse legends, claiming decent from the Jormungandr serpent or the Fenris wolf or even Loki himself. Others entertain the idea that Osiris, Anubis, Suhtek, Sekhmet, Apep, or some other god from Egyptian mythology has been blessed them eternal unlife. Hearing of Shiva, Typhon, or Yama is not uncommon either. Regardless of origin story, the overarching theme is that the vampiric condition is not a curse. It is something that separates kin from kine, gods from mere mortals. Beliefs, Practices, & Relics * To be a vampire is to be divine; strive to achieve apotheosis, literally or figuratively. * Pay homage to the Creator of your bloodline, for he has blessed you with unearthly powers. 'Fatalis' These vampires see themselves as manifest aspects of death and darkness, or death incarnate. They believe the only way to conquer death is to become it in form and function. 'Inconnu' Those who do not know why they exist, what they are, or care one way or the other. They are those who do not subscribe to any of the other faiths, they do not seek to justify their actions, although some may wonder from time to time, they don't extol higher powers. Some refuse to believe anything and could be said to be mad. Many don't think faith is important, at least, not to them. It seems to many of them that randomness and chaos are the only constants, and that truth is totally subjective. In life they were likely absurdists, agnostics, atheists, cosmicists, existentialists, and nihilists. Of course, some are undoubtly apostates from other faiths. Beliefs, Practices, & Relics * There is no meaning to the vampiric condition nor any intrinsict purpose to your existence. * We are all insignificant in the grand scheme of things; nothing we do really matters. * Do whatever gives you meaning or purpose, but know that it is ultimately pointless. 'Kyklos' Vampires who believe 'Lacuna' Vampires that place a special emphasis on time, history, memories, and dreams. They believe that the end of the world is approaching and that a mystical age is awaiting them; that they will one day awaken to a world that can cure them of their curse or one that is a paradise for them. Or, viewed another way, they believe humans and kindred will ultimately destroy themselves, and that the best course of action is inaction. As such, they hold that torpor is the greatest power their kind possess - the ability to turn eons into moments as they sleep and gain invaluable insights from the fog of eternity. They routinely chronicle the history of kine and kindred alike, especially their own stories, and take shifts sleeping away the decades. Beliefs, Pracitces, & Relics ' * Patience is the greatest virtue and our ultimate test above all else; nothing lasts forever. * We are witnesses; every life you take should be noted and their story written down. * Record all that you see and hear for the future generations and in honor of the ancestors. * Seek out ancient manuscripts and documents; treasure these as you would a chance at a new life. 'Mekanim These vampires believe that everything is the product of a sentient, hypernatural, extremely powerful and alien entity, likened to an occult supercomputer: the God-Machine. Unlike Noddists, they don't think the God-Machine is omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent. Rather the God-Machine is the algorithm, the inner workings of existence itself, constantly tuning and reconfiguring itself in accordance with reality, which is formed by the consensus of the conscious beings. They think that if they can learn the rules governing the God-Machine, if they can master it, they can control reality itself. 'Noddist' The Noddists believe in a single, supreme God responsible for creation and with a plan for the world - a plan in which creatures such as they have a role to play. They believe in redemption and salvation, life-after-death and the possibility of eternal damnation (of which they are on the threshold.) Their beliefs are an amalgam of the Abrahamic religions, most notably Christianity, and includes a curious mythology of Cain, the first murderer, as the original vampire. Other prominent figures include Judas, who betrayed Jesus; Longinus, who speared Jesus during the latter's crucifixion; and Vladimir III Tepes Dracula, the Romanian noble and defender of Christendom. Islamic Noddists Beliefs, Practices, & Relics * Retain your humanity by enacting God's righteous judgement on sinners; wrath is no vice when inflicted on the deserving. * Push those who have lost their way toward the One True God, that they might find salvation in Our Lord. 'Sabbat' True reality is a product of experience and perception, or so the Sabbat say. The individual, body and mind, is the center and source of all that exists, for what else can one be certain of? Freed from mortal constraints, vampires are able to taste, touch, hear, see, and feel all that life has to offer, more than a single human life-time could achieve. To them every pleasure and every pain, every trial and tribulation is sacred in its own way, making the individual stronger and wiser. They indulge themselves, becoming completely absorbed in whatever it is they are currently focused on, feeding their endless hunger with overstimulation. The forms this takes vary from the nobel to the sadistic to the debauched. but the vampires of the Sabbat . Trial and error is a great teacher; unlife is a magnificent experiment. Beliefs, Practices, & Relics * Live in the moment, for the moment, for tomorrow you may well die! Category:Blog posts